Portable and knockdown cattle holder



Jan. 12, 1943. R, M HE ER 7 2,308,213

PORTABLE AND KNOCK-DOWN CATTLE HOLDER Filed Aug. 50, 1940 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 1n ventor A iiorney Jan. 12, 1943. R. M. SHEARER v PORTABLE AND KNOCK-DOWN CATTLE HOLDER Filed Aug. 50, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A QK A M weave Amine Jan. 12, i943.

R. M. SHEARER PQRTABLE AND KNOCK-DOWNGATTLE HOLDER Filed Aug. 30, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventbr o Attorney Patented Jan. 12, 1943 PORTABLE. AND KNOCKDOWN CATTLE HOLDER Rose M. Shearer, Crystal City, Tex, assignor of one-half to A. C. Mogford, Zavala County, Tex.

Application August 30, 1940, Serial No. 354,902

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in cattle holders for facilitating the operations of dehorning, marking, branding, castrating, and vaccinating the cattle, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of this character which is readily portable and which can be easily'knocked down for shipment or storage, and which combines therein in a few simple parts both a squeeze chute and a dehorning gate.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for illustrative purposes a preferred embodiment of myinvention is shown. a

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a front end elevational view thereof showing the dehorning gate.

Figur 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 33 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a top plan View.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational View showing the dehorning gate link mechanism.

Referring to the drawings'in detail, the generally rectangular open frame of the embodiment may be made of wood or of other suitable material with the members thereof demountably connected by the means described, the components consisting of the upper and lower longitudinal side members 5 and 6 on opposite sides of the frame, and the front and rear vertical members I and 8 to whose laterally outward edges the longitudinal members 5 and 6 are connected by suitable means designated by the numerals 9 and II]. The lower ends of the vertical members I and 8 reach to the ground I I as indicated in Figure 1. and similarly resting on the ground are the lower front and rear cross members I2 and I3 which extend laterally beyond the vertical members and have the portions of. the lower longitudinal members demountably secured thereto by means indicated by the numerals I4 and I5. Upper cross members I6 and I! are similarly secured to the longitudinally outward sides of the vertical members I and 8. and to the underside of the longitudinal members 5.

The adjustable sides I8 composing the squeezing chute are similar in form and. arrangement,

each. comprising aframe consistingof: end ver-.

and a vertically spaced series of horizontal longitudinal members 2| fastened to the laterally inward faces of ,the vertical end members I9 adjacent the lower ends thereof as clearly indicated in Figure 3. The considerable spaces between the uppermost of the lower longitudinal members 2| and the upper members 26 are occupied by relatively widely vertically spaced pipes or rods 22 which are fastened to flanges 23 at the opposite ends of the side members I8, said flanges being attached to the end members I9. The said end members I9 reach to a sufficient height to bear against the laterally inward upper corners of the upper longitudinal frame members 5 of the main frame when in the fully inward ends to the vertical end members I9 and to an intermediate vertical member IS on these sides, so that the sides I8 are normally retracted to the expanded position illustrated in Figure 3.

Means for contracting the sides I3 and causing them to swing toward each other on the pivotal points of the bars or pipes 25 to apply the sides to the flanks of the animal, consists of a strong cable 26' fixed at one end as indicated by the numeral 27 to the upper part of the ver-.

tical member I9 at the end of one of the sides I8 as shown in Figure 4, whence the cable passes across the frame to pass around a pulley 28 anchored on the upper part of the end vertical member I 9 on the opposite side, whence the cable passes longitudinally over a pair of pulleys 28' anchored to an iron bar 29 which is anchored to the intermediate vertical member IQ of said side, and thence to the pulley 3| on the vertical end member I9 at the opposite end of the side from the pulley 28, thence across the frame where the end of the cable is secured by the anchor 32 to the upper part of the vertical end member I9, on the first mentioned side of the frame. To the middle of cable 26', at a point between pulleys 28- is anchored oneend of a cable 30 which passes across the frame to and around one side of double pulley 30 and returns across the frame to pass around the pulley 29 and thence pass again across the frame to and around the other side of the double pulley 30 and thence pass again across the frame to intermediate vertical member IQ of said side where the end of the cable is anchored as indicated at 20 in Figures 2 and 3. The pulley 30 is secured to the' upper end of an acutely angu- 0 lated portion 33 extending from one arm of the bellcrank 34 which is pivoted at its elbow on a bracket 35 attached to the upper longitudinal; member 25 of the side l8 adjacent the pulley 30, as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the remaining arm of the bellcrank having the handle 36 thereon and extending laterally outwardly beyond the adjacent side of the main frame. A depending link 31 has ears pivoted on opposite sides of the inner end portion of the handle 36 as indicated by the numeral 38,

the link having its lower end pivoted as indicated by the numeral 39 to the laterally outits laterally inward end as indicated by the numeral 4| to a tubular slide 42 which works up and down on a slide rod 43 which has its opposite ends fastened to the intermediate vertical member l9 of the said side. When it is desired to contract the squeeze chute sides l8 to ward each other to contact the flanks of an animal of a certain girth. the handle 36 is pressed downwardly so as to swing the portion 33 of the lever 34 in an outward direction and thereby shorten the cable 26 and bring the upper ends 35 of the sides l8 toward each other. During this action of the lever the slide 42 will move downwardly along the slide rod 43 and when the desired adjustment of the sides l8 has been accomplished, the pressure on the lever handle 36 40,

is released. The reaction pressure of the sides I8 operating through the cable 26 and the lever 34 will pull up on the links 31 and 46 in such a way as to apply the slide 42 frictionally to the sides of the slide rod 43 and in doing this estab--- lish a strong frictional engagement which will 0 prevent movement of the lever out of the established position, thereby holding the sides I8 in the adjusted position while the animal is in place in the squeezing chute. During downward pressure on the handle 36 and the inward movement of the squeeze chutes, the springs 26 are placed under tension and when downward pressure on the handle is released, the springs 26 exert a reverse movement on the chutes and on the handle and the slide 42 binds and catches on the rod 43 at its position where such action occurs. To release the slide 42 aslight downward pressure is exerted on the handle 36 and then by pulling down on the link 46, the slide is held in been opened.

When the squeeze chute is opened, as shown in Figure 3, the handle will .be raised and the cables 30 and springs 26 keep it in that position.

The rear end of the main frame, which is of a 6 7 other'transverse member 41 is fastened to the75 front faces of the vertical members 44 and 45 and below this is the inverted truncated triangular opening 48 to receive the head and neck of the animal to be dehorned. The sides of this opening are defined by abbreviatei horizontal members 49 attached to the front faces of the vertical members 44 and 45, and by lower transverse members 50 the upper one of which defines the truncated lower end of the opening 48, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Upper and lower hinge members 5| and 52, respectively, have a hinge leaf lying along and attached to the laterally outward adjacent edge of the dehorning gate, with the remainder of the hinge structure attached to the laterally outward edge of the adjacent vertical end'memberof the main frame as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. Two latches 53 and 54, simultaneously operable by virtue of connection therebetween of an operating rod 55 are pivotally mounted on the dehorning gate for engagement with the upper and lower receivers 55 and 56 for locking the gate inoperative position;

Pivotedon the members 56 on the front face of the dehorning gate is the bar 51 which has an eye 58 looped through a fixed eye 59 secured to one of the members 56, a straight portion 60 being journaled in a bracket 6| on one of the members 56 below the opening 48. i

Reference to Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings is made to show the neck clamp arrangement which consists of the upright bars 6| and 62 which are pivoted at their lower ends as indicated by the respective numerals 63 and 64 to laterally spaced points on the rear side of the upper one of the two lower horizontal members 50 of the dehorning gate. The upper ends of these bars are pivoted as indicated by the numerals 65 and 66 to the upper and laterally outward ends of the link 61 and the link 68 which are of substantially the same length. A shorter link69 is pivotally connected as indicated by the numeral 70 to an intermediate portion of the right hand link 68, the short link 69 having its opposite end pivotally connected as indicated by the numeral II to an intermediate portion of the upwardly bowed operating lever 12 which has its right hand 7 end portion pivoted as indicated by the numeral 13 to a lower one of the members 49 at the right hand side of the dehorning gate as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings. The left hand end of .the lever 12 normally extends in an inclined position and is formed with a substantially straight handle portion 14 on which is mounted an upwardly directed spring-pressed r ratchet dog positioned to engage ratchet teeth 76 mounted on the adjacent edgeof the dehorning gatestructure, so that adjusted positions of the lever 72 may beheld to prevent the uprights 6| and 62 from leaving forceful contact with the 7 sides of the neck of the animal extending through a free position until the squeeze chutes have the opening 48. The upright bars 6| and 62 close in against the opposite sides of the animal while the bowed lever 72 presses down on the neck until the throat of the animal engages the bottom of the opening 48 shown in Figure 2; The curvature of the intermediate portion'of the lever 12 is-provided for conformance and clearance with the upperpart of the neck ofthe animaL'initial disposition of the parts of the described clamp being shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and an extreme operated'positionthereof being shown in Figure 5. The rod 51 is shaped as indicated for swinging upwardly on top of the muzzle ofthe animal clamped inthe dehorning gate in an obvious manner;- The pressure .of the animals muzsides in adjusted position,

zle against the rod and also the pressure of the operator on the rod hold it in place.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A cattle holder comprising a main frame, a pair of opposed squeezing chute sides horizontally pivoted adjacent their lower ends on the lower part of said main frame for swinging toward and away from each other, spring means normally diverging said sides, and lever operated means on said main frame and having connection between the upper ends of said sides for contracting the sides toward each other to engage the flanks of an animal positioned in said main frame between said sides, a bar carried by one chute side, a slide on the bar normally in frictional engagement with the bar to secure the slide against movement, and means connecting the slide to the lever to secure the lever and chute said lever being adapted to release the slide upon a predetermined movement of the lever.

2. A cattle holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the exit end of said main frame comprises a dehorning gate, said dehorm'ng gate being hinged at one side of said main frame and formed with an animal neck receiving opening, said dehorning gate further comprising a lever operated neck clamp, said neck clamp comprising a pair of uprights pivoted at their lower ends adjacent the lower end of said opening and rising along the opposite sides of said opening, linkage pivotally connected to and between the upper ends of said uprights for moving the uprights toward and away irom each other, and a lever mounted on said dehorning gate and operatively connected to said linkage, said lever extending transversely above the neck of the animal to prevent upward movement of the animal.

3. A cattle holder comprising a main frame, a pair of opposed squeezing chute sides horizontally pivoted adjacent their lower ends on the lowerv part of said main frame for swinging toward and away from each other, spring means normally diverging said sides, cable means connecting said sides adjacent each end and at an intermediate portion of the sides for contracting the sides toward each other to engage the flanks of an animal positioned in said main frame between said sides, an operating lever pivoted on one chute side for said cable means, a bar carried by one chute side, a slide on the bar normally in frictional engagement with the bar to secure the slide against movement, and means connecting the slide to the lever to secure the lever and chute sides in adjusted position, said lever being adapted to re-. lease the slide upon a predetermined movement of the lever.

4. A cattle holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the exit end ofsaid main frame comprises a dehorning gate, said dehorning gate being hinged at one side of said main frame and formed with an animal neck-receiving opening, said dehorning gate further comprising a lever-operated neck clamp, a substantially V-shaped animal nose yoke pivoted at each end on said dehorning gate below said opening, and a le er extending from one end of said yoke.

ROSE M. SHEARER. 

